High Maintenance
by PfenixB
Summary: Rot-your-teeth-out fluff. Meant to be, anyway. Sort of a fail...Valenwind, short one-shot. Enjoy, and please review!


Disclaimer: Don't own them. I'm glad, too. Pretty sure they'd get on my nerves after a few days.

Just some fluff here, since I'm torturing myself in h&g by not letting them get together yet...

A bit of Shera-bashing, 'cause I hate her, and you may lose some teeth to the ridiculous amount of sweet and fluffy that could never really exist in this pairing...

Not terribly well-written...please forgive my lapse in style here. One more fic conceived and and typed on an 11 hour journey. That said, I deleted everything else I typed then...this one probably sucks even more than I remember. But it's cute, and it's Valenwind, and it has fun! Vincent in it.

* * *

Cid liked high maintenance things.

The _Highwind_, for example. She was as classy as they come, that's for sure. He'd taken it hard when he'd lost her, but it didn't matter. He'd just make something even better as a tribute to her.

That led to the _Shera._ A walking -well, flying- contradiction to her namesake if there ever was one. Still, one hundred percent perfect. The only problem Cid had with her was that he hadn't built her himself. He was working on making his own. It was going to be even more perfect, that was all. So, it took more time.

Last but far from least, Vincent. He kicked the asses of both airships, in Cid's opinion. You'd never hear him admit it, but that's what he thought.

As for Vincent himself, he'd never describe himself as high-maintenance, but Cid knew better. And he'd be damned if he was going to let anyone his Vampy with anything less than respect. To hell with them if they thought he could be treated like an average person.

That was why, at the moment, Cid was facing off against a waiter who'd run a hand through Vincent's hair.

"Get yer fuckin' filthy hands off my man, dammit!"

"I'm sorry, sir-"

"Don't apologize t'me. Aplogize t'him. An' if he don't forgive ya, don't you talk to 'im again."

"Y-yes sir, Mr. Highwind. I'm sorry, Mr. Valentine."

Vincent considered not accepting the apology and the offered hand just to enrage Cid further. He really enjoyed watching the pilot jump to defend him from such silly things. Though, this was nothing on the other day, when Cid had threatened his own shadow for touching Vincent inappropriately without his consent. Granted, he was drunk at the time and it was (obviously) quite unnecessary, but Vincent still appreciated the gesture.

But they were in a rather fancy public restaurant, so he'd behave. "It's alright, sir. Just don't do it again unless you want his spear shoved up your ass. "

The man paled and backed away slowly. From the corner of his eye, Vincent saw him hand his apron to the manager.

"You've made another one quit, Chief."

"Heh. Whoops. Damn idiots oughta know better'n t'touch ya by now, anyway."

"They would, but you realize that if they all keep leaving, all the replacements are new and not used to us?"

"Oh. Right. Well, whatever."

Vincent leaned forward across the table to snag his pilot in a quick kiss. "I love you."

"Whoa, PDA from Vincent Valentine. I must be special."

"You are."

"Love you too, Vince."

The women at the table next to theirs started giggling like a pack of hyenas. Nervous hyenas with tendencies to speak with their mouths full.

The food got there quickly, and they received a free dessert for their "trouble". Honestly, the only reason the men hadn't been banned from the restaurant was the entertainment factor. The employees who could handle them loved them to bits, and other visitors were always thrilled that they got dinner and a free show. The fact that they were two grown men making out in a public place didn't seem to scare too many people away. Perhaps they'd all just known the Captain for too long.

"C'mon Vince, time fer the movie."

"I thought we decided on the concert." Really, Vincent wasn't one to worry about getting his way. He only did it with Cid because he knew he'd win. It always felt so good to know that he'd finally found someone who'd do anything for him.

Besides, it wasn't like he didn't always make it up to Cid later. So why not have fun?

"Oh. Whoops."

"Don't tell me you didn't get tickets."

"Uh…"

"Cid?"

"Um…so ya know how I was hangin' out with-"

"Don't say Reno."

"'Kay. Know how I was hangin' out with that redhead Turk?"

"Cid…"

"Hey, it ain't ma fault! He won 'em fair an' square."

"How, exactly? They were mine. I didn't bet with him on anything."

"Well, see…"

"Never mind. I don't want to know." Vincent had the tickets in the pocket of his navy blue slacks. He'd stolen them from Reno while the redhead was…indisposed.

"I'm sorry, Vince. Maybe we can find somebody sellin' 'em out front."

"You'd better hope so."

Uh-oh. That was the no-sex voice. Cid didn't like that voice one bit.

He was going to try his absolute hardest to find tickets, even if he could only get one. Vincent could (and would, as he'd learned, much to his surprise, earlier in their relationship) sneak him in under his cloak.

They arrived at the concert hall at eight, an hour before it was scheduled to start.

"Hey, buddy, they still sellin' at the door?"

"Are you kidding? This thing sold out weeks ago. But Tom over there's sellin' his, since his girl got sick. Y'c'n try over there."

"Thanks."

"Hey, you Tom?"

"Yeaup."

"…Right. So I hear yer sellin' two tickets?"

"Yeaup."

"…How much?"

"Two-thirty."

"Apiece?!"

"Yeaup."

"Are you crazy? No, don't answer that. Fuck. I got…" Cid dug in his pockets, finding 350 gil. "…three-fifty. I'll give ya that."

"Nope."

"C'mon, man. Y'ain't gonna get nobody payin' fuckin' four-sixty fer two tickets. Be practical, now."

"Uh-uh."

"Please?"

As much as he liked all Cid did for him, Vincent couldn't stand watching the man beg. It made him feel dirty for letting things go so far.

"Chief, look what I just found on the ground."

"Hah! In yer face, Tom. I get ta go anyway. Good luck sellin' yer damn tickets."

At that point, two women walked past Tom. "We hear you're selling two tickets. How much?"

"Ninety-five apiece."

"ASSHOLE!"

"Calm down, Cid."

"But he fuckin'-"

"I know. I was there."

"Ya weren't gonna get ta go. Lemme kill 'im? Just a little?"

"No. You try too hard, Cid. I would have lived."

"Yeah, but-"

"Shh."

The taller man pulled the blond close for a kiss much less chaste than the one at the restaurant had been, creating quite a spectacle, and a seven-woman pile-up, which in turn became quite a spectacle in itself.

The concert was incredibly boring to Cid. Vincent was enjoying it immensely, and he knew Cid was bored. He could tell by the barely-muted sighs and restless squirming.

Three hours of classical music, Cid decided, was not a fair trade for sex.

Vincent heard him mutter that under his breath, and decided his goal for the night was to prove him wrong.

"Thank you, Cid. I had a very nice night."

"I'm glad."

"Ice cream first, or shall we go home? I'll pay."

"Nah, I got money. Let's go ta that place on the corner."

"Alright."

As usual, Cid got a banana split with everything on it, and Vincent got chocolate ice cream with hot fudge sauce.

Vincent wondered if he'd gone too far this time as he watched his companion eat with less enthusiasm than was normal for him.

Cid just wanted to go home. He felt like crap, and he wasn't sure why. Probably, he reasoned, because if Vincent hadn't found those tickets he wouldn't have been able to see the concert. Or, listen to the concert, as it was.

He only finished half of his dessert. It made sense- they'd already had that caramel cake thing earlier. A man had no use for two desserts only a few hours apart. Well, not today, anyway.

When they got home, Cid was surprised to find his gunman pressing against his back before he even had the door unlocked.

"Why don't you go on upstairs, Chief? I'll meet you there."

"'K-kay."

He had to force himself not to run.

Vincent made sure all the doors and windows were locked and no little ninjas were sneaking around downstairs before heading up to meet Cid.

He didn't expect to find him in the bathroom across from their bedroom, throwing up.

"Cid!"

He ran to the toilet to rub Cid's back as he puked up every ounce of dessert he'd consumed throughout the day. The steak he'd had at dinner probably came up too, but he didn't want to think about that. It had been way too expensive to throw up later.

"Are you alright?"

Cid nodded. He didn't want to open his mouth, understandably.

Vincent got him cleaned up and carried him across the hall. He left him on the bed and went back for the small garbage can to set it down near Cid.

He pushed the pilot down onto his back and lay next to him.

"I love you, Chief."

"L've ya too."

"I know. Far too much."

"N'ain't too much. S'impos'ble."

"Nonsense."

"Meph." Cid was sleepy. He was vaguely aware of Vincent undressing him, but he was too tired to be excited by it.

"You have a fever."

"Mm."

"Go to sleep."

"C'mere…"

"I am. Just let me change."

"'Kay."

Cid shifted as Vincent lay back down, wanting to be as close to him as possible.

"Stop trying so hard for me."

"Jus' wanna make ya happy."

"You do. You would just by being with me."

"But I want ya ta have what ya want. Y'know, nice things 'n' concert tickets."

"Those aren't necessary."

"But y'want 'em."

"Not always."

"H'muh?"

"Sometimes I just want to see if you'll do it. You always do."

"'Cause ya deserve whatever ya want. Or…claim t'want, whatever."

"So do you."

"I just wanna make ya happy."

"You've said that. I'm sorry."

"Huh?"

"For always teasing you like that. I'll stop."

"Don't hafta."

"I know. But I've learned what I really want."

It was true- he had learned. He'd realized that the one thing he hadn't managed to make Cid do for all his trying was transform into a perfect gentleman. It didn't matter, because he was pretty sure he'd rather have Cid just the way he was.

"Whuzzat? An' ya better not say nothin' corny."

"I won't say anything, then."

"Hey."

"Hm?"

"What if I'm sick an' you get it?"

"Then you can take care of me when I'm done taking care of you. I think you just overate, though."

"Mm. Hope so."

"Me too. I have to make all this up to you soon, or I'll forget."

"I feel better."

"Go to sleep, Cid."

"But-"

"Go to sleep."

"A'right. Love ya, Vampy."

"I love you too, Chief."

* * *

...Teeth rotted out yet? Sorry 'bout that. Well, it made me feel a little better...  
Love all around,  
-PfenixB


End file.
